I guess I've never really been conscious of them before, but just recently my ears have caught onto some nasty ringing tones when I record my Telecaster (straight into the Babyface). They're in the region of 2 - 4kHz  and now that I've noticed them I cannot unhear them! Of course the effect is amplified when it goes through the amp sim. I can sweep with a surgical EQ like Waves Q10 and can isolate them all and notch them out, but it's like I can still hear them...but when I do an A/B with the EQ in and out, notching them out seems to result in a smoother sound but I worry about making so many harsh cuts. Also, there is some of the ringing I just can't seem to get rid of. 
 
So...is this just my ears experiencing some kind of epiphany and everyone gets the same ringing (i.e. it's just a natural property of the guitar) or is there something going wrong in my signal chain? Is it commonplace to have to make a lot of surgical cuts to make an instrument sound smooth? 

I have a guitar that gives me some nasty overtones. It was coming from the area between the nut and the tuning machines. I shoved a small piece of foam between the strings and the headstock, and that eliminated it.

Sounds like a sympathetic "drone"?
I use a business card and "weave" it between the strings above the nut.
 
T

Hmm that's something to try - I guess I never really listened closely to the guitar unamplified to figure out where it was coming from. 

Have someone lay a finger on the strings while you play.
Engineered a session a couple years back, tried in vain to convince the guitar players this was the problem.
Some guys "know it all"; whatever!
My Paul and PRS Santana are both noticeable, my Grosh's not so much.
Go figure?
 
T

Sharke, any way you can let me hear a sample of this noise if/when you get a chance?

Some people pay good money to get those whistling ringing tones in their guitar performance? Now put the ebow DOWN! 
 
You think that Fender has issues? Try this on for size... my guitarviol, Togaman baby!
 

This probably isnt your problem but I encountered a noise with my guit which id describe as ringing wailing whistling and eventually discovered I had the +48 turned on on my input as well as the Hi-Z in the octa capture software control panel. Silly me.

Danny Danzi
Sharke, any way you can let me hear a sample of this noise if/when you get a chance?

I will indeed try to get that to you over the next few days, thanks Danny!

The Band19
Some people pay good money to get those whistling ringing tones in their guitar performance? Now put the ebow DOWN! 
 
You think that Fender has issues? Try this on for size... my guitarviol, Togaman baby!
 

Now that just doesn't look practical, lol!